CONTEXT In the next 50 years, we will be called to live the great challenge of sustainability, of building a sustainable society and economy. As European citizens, we all have a duty to in protecting and improving the environment around us because it means living better. The European Union, in the last 30 years it has multiplied its initiatives: policies, regulations, controls, anti-pollution interventions, research on environmental innovations, awareness actions, etc. Green growth is at the heart of EU policy to ensure that Europe’s economic growth is environmentally sustainable. Additional jobs are bound to be created in the coming years in order to meet the expected demand generated by fully functioning markets for secondary raw materials. In a lifelong learning perspective, education for sustainable development must not only permeate the entire school cycle, from childhood to university, and professional courses, but must continue further, until it merges with lifelong learning adults, as well as with non-formal and informal education aimed at anyone, moving in synergy and consistency with them. The transition to a circular economy requires an urgent need for new knowledge, skills and approaches. Education, basic and continuous professional training, as well as non-professional training for adults (or "life long learning"), play a key role in the revision and implementation of knowledge. GENERAL OBJECTIVES The Erasmus "Protect Yourself" project aims to create a series of tools and resources to support adult education and to contribute to the development and expansion of their professional and educational know-how in the circular economy. Given these GENERAL OBJECTIVES, we have identified 3 SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES that the project will reach at its end: 1st SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE: Increase the involvement of adults from partners’ countries to identify, analyze and evaluate the actions to be taken in favor of the climate; 2nd SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE: Improve the level of key competences of adult educators in formal and non-formal education to adequately contribute to the adults critical skills development; 3rd SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE: Enhance the capacity of adult organizations to help adults take action in favor of the climate and to combat climate change. These SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES have been identified on the basis of the TARGET GROUPs chosen and their NEEDs detected. We also tried to figure out which ones SHORT TERM BENEFITS might be and MEDIUM AND LONG TERM BENEFITS. T1: adults with an interest in developing critical thinking skills to act in favor of the climate. N1: the need for analytical and critical thinking skills improvement about environmental issues. ST B1: better understand how to act in favor of the climate; empowered to use critical thinking skills to fight climate change; increased self-confidence. MLT B1: better participation of adults in society. T2: adult educators, working with adults in all forms of education, with interest in developing competencies needed for empowering the adults. N2: non-formal methods for improving adults' critical thinking skills and analytical abilities; improving their abilities; exchange good practice for adults. ST B2: Improved professional competencies and transversal abilities for counseling the adults; Increases overall satisfaction by the appreciation of their work MLT B2: qualitative development of work whit adults; increased participation of adult educators in climate actions. T3: adult organizations and Partner organizations, working with adults in all kinds of education with interest in developing their internal capabilities for addressing adults' needs. N3: need improved internal capabilities to empower adults to act in favor of the climate. ST B3: increased trust by creating awareness of high-level support for adults. MLT B3: strengthen cross-sectoral cooperation between adult organizations. MAIN RESULTS Result 1. Good practice guide. This result will support the T2 as well as the T3 to improve the analytical abilities and critical thinking skills of T1. Thus, the guide will contribute to the achievement of the 1st SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE: Increase the involvement of adults from partners’ countries to identify, analyze and evaluate the actions to be taken in favor of the climate. Result 2. Methods and techniques for support climate action. This result will support the T2 that needs a toolkit of skills and methods to address adults' needs. The toolkit will contribute to the achievement of the 2nd SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE: Improve the level of key competences of adult educators in formal and non-formal education to adequately contribute to the adults critical skills development. Result 3. Cooperation mechanism. This result will be a European virtual space (Facebook Group) to support the T3 to improve internal capabilities to empower adult people (T1) to act for the climate. Thus, it will contribute to the achievement of the 3rd SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE.
With this project we aimed to create a mechanism that supports adult education and allows adults to develop and expand their personal and professional knowledge and skills in the field of environmental protection and the circular economy. In particular we have: - increased the involvement of over 250 adults from partner countries and provided them with knowledge and skills to identify, analyze and evaluate actions to be taken in favor of the climate; - improved the skill level of over 50 adult educators in formal and non-formal education to adequately contribute to the development of critical skills of adults in relation to environmental protection; - Strengthened the capacity of 25 adult organizations to help adults take climate action and help fight climate change. Furthermore, we have increased the ability of partners to operate transnationally, share and compare ideas, practices and methods, which is an objective of ERASMUS + in support of the exchange of good practices.
In the next 50 years we will be called to live the great challenge of sustainability, of building a greener society and economy. As European citizens, we all have a duty to protect and improve the environment around us because it means living better. Over the past 30 years, the EU has multiplied its initiatives in favor of the environment by placing green growth at the center of its policy. In the coming years, more jobs will be created in order to meet the demand generated by the current labor market. Although it has allowed the growth of an increasingly evident and widespread ecological sensitivity, the theme of education for sustainability is still too often associated with initiatives aimed almost exclusively at children and new generations. From a lifelong learning perspective, education for sustainable development must merge with adults. In fact, there is no clear point of connection for adults, for whom it is not easy to identify possible educational paths. The transition to a circular economy requires an urgent need for new knowledge, skills and approaches, and this was our starting point.